5am waking - help!

[willow3006]

Hi

I need some advice. My twin boys are 7 months old tomorrow and other than one of them having pretty bad reflux they're doing really well. We had them on a good routine quite early and have been weaning them early at 4 months. We were just getting to the point where we need to move their routines on somehow so that they can eat lunch at 12 (they were on a routine where they had milk at 7am, sleep for 45 mins at about 8.30am, milk and cereal at 10am, sleep for an hour and a half at 11.30am, lunch had to be quite late at 1pm and then milk at 2.30pm, nap for 30 mins at 3pm and bath and bed by 6.30pm). Obviously it would be better to move it on so that we stretch their morning nap out a bit later so they could then eat lunch before their nap rather than go down at 11.30am and eat lunch after but we just couldn't seem to get them to not get cranky and tired at about 11.30am so we were stuck in the routine. We didn't mind too much though as we had managed to drop the 10.30pm sleep feed at 4.5 months so they were sleeping through from 6.30am to 6.30pm which I was very happy with!

And then all of a sudden about 2 weeks ago they are waking up at 5am! On the dot! Every day! I don't know what has happened as we didn't change the routine, they are still eating 3 meals a day and 4 bottles of milk. They don't seem to be waking up for food as they just coo and make loud babbling noises for about 30 mins before they get bored and start crying. We have blacked out the windows so that there's barely any light (but they used to sleep even when there was light so not sure it would be this anyway?)

Any ideas of how to get them to stay asleep until 6.30? It's having a real knock on effect on their routine as they are getting sleepy again at about 7am and there's no way we can move on their routine while they are waking up so early. I feel like we've gone backwards and I'm not sure why.

Advice please!

Willow x

Sounds like you have a good routine - it is probably just a rough patch and will hopefully go back to normal eventually.
IIRC the light mornings played havoc with my dt's routine last year even though they slept well during the day when it was light they seemed to know the difference.

If it dosnt settle down there is a concept called wake to sleep - it sounds mad but has worked for us after 1 or both have woken early out of habbit. www.mybabysleepguide.com/2009/02/wake-to-sleep.html
This blog may help it also has a list of other things it may be.

As for the rest - I am sure it will slot in to place, 11 - 12 was always a bit hit and miss in our house up to and even after their 1st birthday.

It sounds like you have found something that really works for you but if you really wanted to change it could you try giving them cereal in the morning with their milk then having a nap and lunch at 11.15 -30 ? I think this is what we were doing then but it is all such a blur that I can never be to sure.

Good Luck

Happened to me to with DS1 at around that age. He is 4.5 and still doing it :) I just go to bed very early...

Wow your routine sounds very precise. Problem is, i think, that just as something is working, the children change and develop a bit and you need to change things again.

They do go to bed quite early. Maybe move bedtime back a bit?

That method is really interesting. I might try it! Better set the alarm clock!

Good Luck
Bombastic made a very good point about their needs changing just as something is working.

Mine are 4 and we had to put them in separate rooms as T2 was waking T1. He still wakes at 5.30 regardless of time to bed (which is generally 7pm ish). We have tried everything possible. Changing the timer on the heating, later 'heavier' tea, milk, no milk, snack before bed, the works. He still wakes with his tummy rumbling and cold hands/feet. I think he doesnt eat enough to keep him sustained through the night. but as he is the ever ready bunny, no amount of calories will be enough. Early nights and swap wake ups with your partner if poss so you get a lay in every other day.